Automated driving and mobility solutions such as car-sharing and fleet services call for innovative vehicle access systems, as conventional vehicle keys will cease to be adequate for the mobility concepts of the future. That is why Continental has expanded its Smart Access solution for convenient vehicle access via smartphone to offer drivers a complete package of services. With the technology company’s new emergency unlocking solution, users can gain access to their vehicle even if the car battery is flat – and can do so completely digitally, without having to resort to the mechanical emergency key. In combination with the Continental Smart Access system, the entire door is intelligent, which means that it opens and closes independently. “The intelligent door is a milestone in access technology, as for the first time, we can offer users an all-round package for hands-free and digital operation, from unlocking the car and opening the door to starting the engine. With it, we are enabling an even more convenient and secure driving experience for drivers and offering more design freedom to manufacturers,” explains Andreas Wolf, head of Continental’s Body & Security business unit.

Access to the vehicle, even when the battery is dead, thanks to a digital key

Until now when a car battery ran out drivers had to fall back on the mechanical emergency key and a manual door lock to get into their vehicles and open the hood. The emergency unlocking technology from Continental will render this unnecessary in the future. It does so by using buffered energy from the door control unit, which is sufficient to allow the door to be unlocked once more.

This automatic emergency unlocking system is activated by means of NFC technology, such as via a smartphone, which transmits the signal following a successful security check and automatically triggers the unlocking process for the door. This means more convenience for users, as they no longer need a mechanical key, even for emergencies. It also opens up more design freedom for carmakers, as they no longer have to develop a conventional key with a blade and can dispense entirely with the emergency lock in the door. In combination with the automatic door opener, even the entire door handle will become obsolete, which offers more options for the exterior design, whilst simultaneously improving the vehicle’s aerodynamic resistance.

Ensuring that not only the emergency lock but also the entire door handle is surplus to requirements, Continental has integrated an assistant function into the intelligent door. “Electronically controlled doors enable convenient, hands-free operation. Our security and control algorithms make sure that you can open and close the vehicle door securely and easily,” explains Wolf.

How Smart Access and the virtual key work

Smart Access enables convenient vehicle access via a smartphone. The system centers on the virtual key, which is saved to a mobile end device. This key, which consists of a tamper-proof data record, gains access only after successful one-time authentication by the back end, which sends it to the smartphone via a wireless interface. Further communication takes place exclusively between the smartphone and the vehicle.

For this purpose, the system uses multiple Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or NFC transceiver modules, located in the vehicle, to enable the authorized smartphone to be located both from inside and from outside. As soon as an authorized virtual key is detected, the system issues permission to open the vehicle and start the engine. Therefore, there is no longer any need for a mechanical key.

Companies from the technology and automotive sectors formed a consortium focused on creating the network architecture to handle the deluge of data expected to be generated by connected cars.

The newly-formed Automotive Edge Computing Consortium (AECC) includes Ericsson, Intel, NTT, NTT Docomo and Toyota and aims to define best network practice for the new architecture.

It is also set to investigate methods of delivering technologies including intelligent driving and maps updated with real-time data.

The companies predict data transmitted between connected vehicles and cloud networks will be 10,000 times larger than recorded currently and is likely to reach 10 exabytes per month in 2025.

AECC will attempt to define suitable network architecture and industry best practice standards for how the cars interface with the network.

In a joint statement the members said the increase in data would: “Trigger the need for new architectures of network and computing infrastructure to support distributed resources and topology-aware storage capacity. The architectures will be compliant with applicable standards, which requires collaboration on a local and global scale”.

The group expects to announce new members in the coming months.

AECC is one of a number of partnerships formed by companies throughout the world to accelerate the development of connected vehicle technology across various markets. Members include app companies, technology vendors, network operators and automotive companies.

Early results from a new study commissioned by FIA Region I states that most car data can be linked to a user and, therefore, should be treated as personal data.

The study examined how existing and upcoming EU legislation on data protection and liability could apply to vehicle data. It clearly dismisses the attempts to categorise data according to its technical or non-technical nature, as currently proposed by vehicle manufacturers. Data does not automatically lose relevance in terms of privacy because of its technical nature. For instance, technical information regarding a low oil gauge of a specific vehicle is linked to an identifiable customer, it directly relates to this person.

The General Data Protection Regulation, expected to enter into force from May 2018, introduces the concept of data portability, intended to allow users to transfer their personal data to a third party upon request. This provision was drafted to ensure competition. However, data protection legislation alone may not be sufficient to ensure competition as there remain concerns over the latency and quality of the data to be provided.

he study also explores whether liability obligations grant a right to access data to manufacturers. Neither the product liability Directive nor the produce safety Directive oblige manufacturers to permanently monitor data once the vehicles are on the road. If such processing of data was needed, it must be based on consumer consent. Data should also be equally shared with component manufacturers.

The initial findings from the study were presented as part of a European Commission workshop on access to data. The study was carried out by the legal consultancy Osborne Clarke in 2017. The full study will be published in the coming weeks.

Andwhile Ford is looking to catch up to the leaders in autonomous and electric vehicle manufacturing, Toyota (through the Toyota Research Institute) appears to be taking the next fork in the road toward enabling that autonomous and electric future.

Together with MIT’s Media Lab, Toyota has enlisted a series of partners that specialize in different aspects of blockchain technology (the distributed, encrypted ledger technology that powers the cryptocurrency bitcoin) to explore how the technology may be applied to the car industry.

Toyota unveiled a number of projects that aimed to address how software will help people become comfortable with autonomous technologies. That means monitoring and distributing information about the safety of individual vehicles, the way owners use the cars, and cut down on fraud.

“Hundreds of billions of miles of human driving data may be needed to develop safe and reliable autonomous vehicles,” said Chris Ballinger, director of mobility services and chief financial officer at Toyota’s research institute, in a statement. “Blockchains and distributed ledgers may enable pooling data from vehicle owners, fleet managers, and manufacturers to shorten the time for reaching this goal, thereby bringing forward the safety, efficiency and convenience benefits of autonomous driving technology.”

Initially the research is focusing on sharing data on every trip that an autonomous vehicle takes; on developing tools that users can have to make ride-sharing easier; and to create new insurance products that are usage-based for customers who may prefer that coverage.

“I’m excited Toyota is spearheading this initiative that uses blockchain technology to create an open platform where users can control their driving data,” said Neha Narula, Director, Digital Currency Initiative at the MIT Media Lab, in a statement. “Our hope is that other industry stakeholders will join this effort to bring safe and reliable autonomous vehicles one step closer to reality.”

TRI isn’t just working with MIT on the initiative, but also with a few choice startups and smaller companies big in the blockchain space. Berlin-based BigchainDB, a startup which raised over $3 million to develop a flexible, scalable blockchain-based ledger; is helping develop the kind of architecture Toyota will need to roll out to have growth and scale it wants. Meanwhile Oaken Innovations and Commuterz, from Dallas and Tel Aviv, respectively, are working to develop blockchain apps for car sharing, vehicle access and payments and carpooling.

Finally, Toyota is tapping the Los Angeles-based blockchain application developer, Gem to port the applications it has been developing for the healthcare insurance industry to car insurance. The company provides a ledger for distributed inputs from a number of different sources that can then be used to automate much of the insurance claim process.

With Toyota, Gem will specifically work on usage-based insurance products tied to the telematics coming off of a users’ vehicle.

TRI’s partners include: Berlin-based BigchainDB, which is building the data exchange for sharing driving and autonomous vehicle testing data; Oaken Innovations, based in Dallas and Toronto, is developing an application for P2P car sharing, vehicle access and payments with a newly created mobility token; Commuterz, a startup from Israel, is working with TRI on a P2P carpooling solution; Gem, from Los Angeles, is working with Toyota Insurance Management Solutions (TIMS) – Toyota’s joint venture telematics car insurance company – and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Services on the usage-based insurance platform.

VNC Automotive, the global provider of VNC® remote access technology and premier MirrorLink supplier are pleased to announce their collaboration with Noser Engineering, a leading software supplier in the technical computer science industry.

Noser Engineering have collaborated with VNC Automotive to produce a new concept that will revolutionize the existing in-car connectivity market. This exciting project sees Noser developing a screen-less embedded module for installation into vehicles that integrates the RealVNC MirrorLink server and can be connected to certified MirrorLink enabled head units. The result is a highly flexible solution for vehicle manufactures and fleet operators that will support a range of their dedicated console apps and simplifies geographical customisation.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Noser Engineering on this exciting project which will deliver a new concept using MirrorLink as a safe and flexible open standard, enabling automotive OEM’s and fleet operators to deploy applications to their vehicles” said Tom Blackie, Vice President of Automotive at RealVNC. “We look forward to a very long and successful working relationship with Noser Engineering”.

Noser Engineering also looks forward to the collaboration and future projects with VNC Automotive. “The collaboration between VNC Automotive and Noser Engineering will consolidate both company’s strengths,” says Patrick Schättin, Head of Automotive at Noser Engineering AG. “The expertise of VNC Automotive, and in particular being the well-known supplier of MirrorLink technology, combined with the know-how of Noser Engineering as a full-service software provider, enable us to develop new, innovative and customer-specific solutions in the area of car connectivity.”

RealVNC software is technology agnostic and readily embraces complementary standards such as Apple CarPlay™, Android Auto and Baidu’s CarLife. VNC Automotive includes VNC Telematics™, VNC Enhanced™ and the RealVNC MirrorLink Certified solution that pairs the driver’s car with their mobile device, enabling mobile devices to perform a number of different functions within the car. In an industry where driver safety is of the utmost importance, VNC Automotive technology allows the mobile device to be controlled from the car dashboard, vehicle bezel keys, or steering wheel switches without distracting the driver.

About RealVNC

VNC Automotive is a division of RealVNC, the global provider of VNC® remote access technology. RealVNC’s software is used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide; in over 1 billion devices; in every sector of industry, government and education. RealVNC is a Charter member of the Car Connectivity Consortium supporting the MirrorLink® specification, which uses VNC. VNC Automotive underpins many of the commercial MirrorLink Certified™ products and has been available in production with automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and phone vendors for several years. It is already in millions of vehicles available from many of the major automotive OEMs. Founded by the original inventors of VNC, RealVNC is the only organization able to offer a commercial license to embed VNC in third-party products and offerings. www.realvnc.com RealVNC®, VNC® and RFB® are trademarks of RealVNC Limited and are protected by trademark registrations and/or pending trademark applications in the European Union, United States of America and other jurisdictions. MirrorLink Certified™, MirrorLink® and the MirrorLink® Logo are certification marks and trademarks of the Car Connectivity Consortium LLC. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) today announced the election of Mahfuzur Rahman, Director of Standards & Technology at Samsung Research America, as its new President. Mahfuzur will oversee the CCC, an organization driving global technologies and standards for car connectivity solutions. He will also chair and serve on the CCC Board alongside representatives from General Motors, Volkswagen, Daimler, RealVNC, HTC, PSA, Honda, LG Electronics, Hyundai, Alpine, Toyota, and Panasonic. Mahfuzur has been an active CCC Participant and Board member since the beginning of 2016.

Mahfuzur brings two decades of Consumer Electronics industry experience in connected device services & strategies to this new position. Mahfuzur, in his role as Director of Standards & Technology Enabling at Samsung, is leading R&D and industry consortia activities. Prior to Samsung, Mahfuzur was a Scientist at Panasonic Research in Princeton, New Jersey. Mahfuzur has a vast experience in industry consortia governance due to his involvement on boards of directors or in executive roles in a number of industry consortia including the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), the UPnP Forum, the NFC Forum, and the IMS Global Learning Consortium. He has published over 20 articles at various international conferences, journals, and books and has filed and/or granted over 40 patents.

“The CCC, over the years, has become an organization that facilitates the stakeholders of phone-car connectivity ecosystem to develop state-of-the-art connected car features. I am thrilled and excited to lead CCC in this exciting time and be part of the endeavor to drive CCC into new areas,” said Mahfuzur.

The Car Connectivity Consortium is currently expanding its portfolio of technologies beyond MirrorLink including two very exciting projects: “Digital Key,” where smartphones are used to gain access to the car, and “Car Data,” which builds an ecosystem for features such as usage-based insurance. These projects are currently in the development phase since approval by the CCC board in June 2016. For further information about CCC projects please use the link http://carconnectivity.org/contact.

About the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC)

The CCC is dedicated to cross-industry collaboration in developing global standards and solutions for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity. The organization’s more than 80 members represent more than 70 percent of the world’s auto market, more than 60 percent of the global smartphone market and a who’s who of aftermarket consumer electronics vendors. For further information, please visit www.carconnectivity.org.

In a bid to win the race to develop self-driving cars and give a leg-up to their automakers over their rivals from Silicon Valley, the two EU nations have joined hands to test the cars on a stretch of road linking them.

European neighbors Germany and France plan to test self-driving vehicles on a section of road linking the two countries, the transport ministry in Berlin said Wednesday.

The route stretches around 70 kilometers (43 miles), from Merzig in Germany’s western Saarland state to Metz in eastern France. It is aimed at testing “automated and connected driving in real cross-border traffic,” the ministry noted.

“Manufacturers will be able to test the connectivity of their systems, for example when lanes or speed limits change at the border,” German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in a statement following a meeting with his French counterpart Alain Vidalies.

“We want to set worldwide standards for this key technology through cooperation between Europe’s two biggest car-producing countries,” he added.

The route will allow testing of 5G wireless communications between cars and infrastructure, automated maneuvers such as overtaking and braking, and emergency warning and call systems, among others.

An automated future?

Germany, home to car giants such as Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, already boasts a number of test zones for automated vehicles on motorways and in cities, but this is the first that will cross into another country.

The transport ministry has offered 100 million euros ($107 million) in funding for the projects.

The tests come as the nation’s traditional carmakers are racing to catch up to Silicon Valley newcomers such as Tesla, Uber and Google parent company Alphabet in the new field, seen as the future of driving.

Automated trucks in particular are expected to shake up the road transport sector in the years to come.

In a glimpse of what lies ahead, manufacturers took part in an experiment last year that saw six convoys of “smart” trucks cross several European countries using “platooning,” in which a leading truck sets the route and speed for wirelessly-connected self-driving followers.

34 Bridge Alliance members can now access Gemalto On-Demand Connectivity for Industrial and Consumer IoT devices

Gemalto , the world leader in digital security, has been selected to supply its On-Demand Connectivity (ODC) solution for Bridge Alliance, a partnership of 34 leading mobile network operators (MNOs) in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, representing over 800 million customers. Deployed by Gemalto, On-Demand Connectivity, when paired with embedded SIMs (eSIM), eliminates logistics challenges of provisioning online connectivity in different territories forInternet of Things (IoT) device makers and service providers.

Through the remote subscription management, users can easily connect to any Bridge Alliance Member Operator’s network, allowing them to immediately access the Internet with their devices, and manage their mobile subscriptions with ease. This solution is compatible with GSMA’s Embedded SIM M2M specifications for industrial IoT applications, and GSMA’s Embedded SIM specifications for consumer devices.

IoT is one of the fastest-growing markets today. Based on IHS Markit’s 2016 projections, there will be 20 billion connected devices in use in 2017. This installed base of IoT devices will continue to expand to 30 billion in 2020, and hit 75 billion in 2025*. There is also a market shift from highly specialized to cross-industry IoT devices. An example is the use of connected light bulbs, which can be implemented for different sectors.

“We are focused on providing customers with world-class, seamless connectivity services for both industrial and consumer IoT devices,” said Eileen Tan, Chief Executive Officer at Bridge Alliance. “Our partnership with Gemalto allows us to automate the provision of connectivity services over-the-air to meet the exacting demands of our customers.”

“IoT is the backbone of many emerging trends and technologies like Industry 4.0 and Big Data“, said Sashidhar Thothadri, Vice President of Sales South Asia & Japan at Gemalto. “As the interest grows, we are excited to deliver a truly flexible way to connect any IoT device – from connected cars to wearables and other industrial M2M applications – across a large geographical footprint, thanks to Bridge Alliance members’ networks”.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: FORD VEHICLE OWNERS CAN EASILY UPGRADE 2010 – 2016 VEHICLES TO HAVE CONNECTIVITY FEATURES

Ford SmartLink provides owners of 2010 – 2016 model-year Ford and Lincoln vehicles not equipped with a modem access to a wide array of connectivity features through the new platform

Features include remote start, lock and unlock, Wi-Fi access capable of hosting up to eight devices, and vehicle health, security and location alerts

Components of Ford SmartLink include a 4G LTE-enabled OBD II plug-in device, as well as a companion App and Web Portal used to activate remote features, receive alerts and schedule service appointments with the owner’s preferred dealer

Millions of current Ford customers stand to benefit from Ford SmartLink, a technology that enables connectivity features normally only available on new modem-equipped vehicles. Using a simple device that plugs into the OBD II port below the steering wheel, Ford SmartLink will give customers who own 2010 – 2016 model year Ford and Lincoln vehicles that are not equipped with a modem access to:

Smartphone-based remote start, lock and unlock.

4G Wi-Fi hotspot capable of accepting up to eight devices.

Vehicle health and security alerts.

Vehicle location assistance.

“Ford SmartLink will surprise and delight owners of recent model-year vehicles by adding some of today’s most popular connectivity features” said Stephen Odell, executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “Offering it through our dealerships is another way to keep us connected with our customers and earn their loyalty.”

SmartLink can be obtained at Ford and Lincoln dealerships starting this summer.

With more than two years of research and development invested, the Ford SmartLink team of engineers, in collaboration with Delphi Automotive and Verizon Telematics, have ensured the technology will work seamlessly with Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

“We are thrilled to offer this level of convenience and connectivity to our existing customers, extending the value of their vehicles and giving them just one more reason to love their Ford and Lincoln vehicles.”

Airbiquity®, a global leader in connected vehicle services, is entering 2017 on a high, providing service delivery for over seven million connected vehicles and launching its Software & Data Management offering, an industry-leading solution for configuring and automating over-the-air (OTA) software updates and data collection.

Airbiquity posted a ten percent increase in connected vehicle subscriptions year-over-year, processed over 2 billion platform transactions, and surpassed 4 million over-the-air software updates. The company also secured a new customer deal with Alpine Electronics to provide infotainment service delivery for select Alpine Restyle aftermarket dash systems, and with the introduction of its Software & Data Management product is positioned to capitalize on the significant market opportunity for automotive OTA software and data management services, which is projected to grow from $2.7 billion in 2015 to over $35 billion in 2022, according to research firm IHS.

While developing its Software & Data Management offering the company worked to bolster its strategic partnerships to provide automakers with an innovative end-to-end feature-rich OTA capability supporting single and multiple electronic control units (ECUs). In addition to utilizing its own technology, Airbiquity integrated HARMAN ECUSHIELD intrusion detection and prevention software to address cybersecurity threats, and EnGIS EnVDM Delta Packager and Update Agent technology for software differential creation and update installation, among other partnerships and integrations in 2016.

“2016 was a landmark year for Airbiquity on multiple fronts, given our customer wins, product development initiatives, and strategic partnerships,” said Kamyar Moinzadeh, President and CEO of Airbiquity. “It’s clear we’ve entered a new era where software technology and cloud services are key components of every automotive connected vehicle program. This makes it an exciting time to work in this industry, and our talented and agile team has proven to be our biggest asset in developing and deploying world class solutions for customers.”

About Airbiquity

Airbiquity® is a global leader in connected vehicle services and pioneer in the development and engineering of automotive telematics technology. At the forefront of automotive innovation, Airbiquity operates the industry’s most advanced cloud-based connected vehicle service delivery platform, Choreo™, and supports all leading use cases including over-the-air (OTA) software and data management. Working with Airbiquity, automakers and automotive suppliers are deploying highly scalable, reliable, and manageable connected vehicle services meeting the safety, entertainment, and convenience needs of their customers in over 60 countries around the world. Learn more about Airbiquity at www.airbiquity.com or join the conversation @airbiquity. Airbiquity is a trademark of Airbiquity Inc.